MISSIONARIES BACK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17236, 16 April 1930, Page 11

MISSIONARIES BACK

PROM THE PIGMY COUNTRY IN CENTRAL AFRICA SYDNEY, April 3. After having spent two years in Central Africa, in the heart of the pigpny country, Mr. H. B. Williams, a member of the Unevangelised Africa Mission, arrived at Sydney on Saturday on furlough, accompanied by his wife. The mission station to which Mr. Williams is attached is situated on the equator in th§ Belgian Congo, and is 150 miles from the nearest civilised community. ~ , A . Owing to the timid, shy natures of the pigmies, Mr. Williams said very few converts had been made among thorn. They were naturally reserved, and were frightened of white men. The only way their confidence could bo gained was by offering them small packages of salt, a commodity which was denied them by the natives, who held them more or less in subjection. They had their own native dialect, but also spoko tho Kinundi language, which was tho native ‘tongue of the Buswaga tribe, in whose midst they lived. The pigmies were the hunters for both races, and the Buswaga natives were agriculturists. Both races lived in comparative harmony, and tribal wars- were events of the past. During the two years that the missibn station had been established, lie added, about 200 natives had been co verted. About 275,000 natives lived within the mission’s field of operations. The difficulty in the path of mission work was the native prejudice against white men. which, however, was being slowly undermined.